- Students with low or average ICT skills tended to prefer scaffolded environments regardless of their views on OCW.
- Less technologically-inclined students may feel less confident working without guidance due to their lack of familiarity with online writing programs and online communication.
- Implies that even experienced writers may face difficulty using OCW as a learning tool if they are unfamiliar with the technological tools available.

New York University

A few associations were uncovered between students' conceptions of OCW and some other factors, such as:
- English language proficiency
- Work experience
- Information and communications technology (ICT) skills

Associations Between Conceptions of OCW and Student Characteristics

Limbu, L., & Markauskaite, L. (2015). How do learners experience joint writing: University students' conceptions of online collaborative writing tasks and environments. Computers & Education, 82, 393-408.


How do Learners Experience Joint Writing: University Students’ Conceptions of Online Collaborative Writing

- Non-native English speakers tended to have product-focused conceptions of OCW and to prefer pre-arranged or scaffolded OCW environments.
- The researchers believe this is because English learners have to juggle two tasks simultaneously: engaging with the subject matter (higher-order task) and achieving mastery over a new language (foundational task). Because they have to split their attention efficiently, most would prioritize language mastery and focus on more technical aspects of the writing task.
- Also, English learners might prefer pre-arranged and scaffolded environments due to lack of confidence working independently in a second language.

Associations Between Conceptions of OCW and Language Proficiency

- All students with learning-focused conceptions of OCW and who conceived of an effective OCW space as open and student-led had at least 6 years of work experience.
- Implies that "real-world" experiences of collaborative work in a professional setting can contribute to one's understanding of OCW as a process of knowledge-sharing and knowledge-building between team members.

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